Methods or devices for controlling material flows are used for example in the area of transport of pulverized or bulk-type materials, e.g. in the field of mining for transport of ores and the like. A device for controlling material flows has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,473. In this case a specific amount of material fed in is output again for further processing in timed doses.
A usual device for controlling material flows can in such cases have a closable silo which contains the material to be transported. The silo in such cases is filled for example by means of an excavator which has extracted iron ore. The silo is closed off in the lower area. A transport belt is disposed at the lower end of the silo for example so that, when the silo is opened, the iron ore can fall down accordingly onto the transport belt. The transport belt transports the iron ore to a predetermined location and it is output there to a further processing device, for example in the form of a rail car loading device, with which the iron ore is to be loaded into corresponding cars for further transport.
A control device is usually provided for control of the transport from the silo to the railway loading device, which continuously monitors the state of the device on the basis of one or more sensors. For this purpose the current measured values of the sensors are interrogated at regular intervals. This requires a high computing outlay and in addition a high energy outlay.